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Sitting down beside Devin, I wait for her to look up. When she does, the look in her eyes is one full of wonder, almost magical. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, as though she’s not really sure what to say. I feel the same.
I shake my head and grin. “I can’t believe you’re here. What are the odds?” I say, in complete shock and awe.
Devin’s gaze meets mine, and the smile that breaks across her sensual lips has me wanting to lean in and capture them. God, how I loved devouring those lips and the other ones. My cock jumps at the memories of laying on the bed between her legs.
Down, boy, this isn’t the time.
“Hi,” she says, a hint of confusion colors the one word before she breaks into laughter.
We all follow her down the laughter trail for a few minutes before sobering. Well, everyone except Cole, that is. His expression is cold, disconnected, as he studies Devin.
“How are you doing?” Lucian asks at the same time Dante asks, “How’s your love life been this last year?”
Devin’s eyes widen on Dante, ever the romantic one, and a rosy, pink blush crawls up her neck, tinting high on her cheeks. For a moment, I wonder how low that blush goes. Would it cover her chest and stomach, maybe lower? I vow then and there to find out.
Fuck, what is wrong with me?
“I’m doing good. Started a new job at the local library, which is what brought me back to the city. As for my love life, well, that’s been a bit more of a challenge. I am sure you three know about my condition. It’s not exactly easy to find someone understanding and willing to put up with it long term.” She looks away as she says the last part, embarrassment sapping her strength and self-confidence. It’s a gesture I truly hate to see in her.
I place my hand over hers on the table, and she quickly looks up at me. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. We wouldn’t dare judge you. Besides, it’s not your fault those guys were too stupid to figure out how to make it work. You’re an incredible woman who should be treasured in every way possible.”
The smile she offers me next is breathtaking, lighting up her entire face and bolstering her confidence. Evidenced by the straightening of her spine and the lift of her shoulders.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Dante states, slapping his palm down on the table, causing us all to jump. “This is unbelievable.”
“Why?” Devin asks, tilting her head to the side, studying Dante.
“I was working on a new painting the other week that a couple commissioned, and I couldn’t get the expression right on the female’s face. That was before you came to mind, and everything just clicked. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Wondering where you were, how you were doing. You’ve been my muse and my obsession these last few weeks.”
I could be wrong, but wouldn’t most normal people be freaked out by finding out someone was obsessing over them for weeks? Right? The twinkle in Devin’s eye shows me she’s excited by the idea.
“Can I see the painting?” Devin asks timidly.
Dante bounces in his seat like a geeky schoolboy who just convinced the head cheerleader to be his date to the prom. “I’ll take you by the studio sometime and show you all of them.”
My gaze tracks to Cole, who’s standing silently behind a grinning Lucian, his arms crossed over his chest, watching Devin even more closely. I didn’t know his expression could get any colder, masking the emotions and thoughts running rampant through his mind.
Leo coughs from beside me, and we all turn in unison in his direction. “I hate to break up this little reunion that you all are having, but we had a purpose for this lunch, and my lunch break is about up.”
“If you all have something you need to discuss, please don’t let me keep you from it. I have to eat my lunch and get back to work myself.” Devin’s gaze scans the group of us sitting and standing around her table and sinks in her seat when her gaze catches and lingers on Cole.
Cole holds her stare as he replies in a cool, detached tone, not a trace of warmth to be heard. “It’s okay, Leo. Let them catch up. I’ll give you a ride back to work.”
Devin visibly shivers under Cole’s intense stare and aloof manner, and I squeeze her hand in reassurance.
What the fuck is his problem? He can’t be that pissed off that we abandoned his problem in favor of finding Devy again, can he? No. Even he said that next morning how he felt a connection to her, too, and all they had done was talk for ten minutes. He called her timid but feisty, and that called to him.
Eyeing Cole, I can see there’s something else going on, something he’s trying hard to hide, and I have a feeling we’re all in for a ride, including Devin.
Cole and Leo walk away, leaving the rest of us to talk and catch up while Devin finishes her lunch. We talk openly about the night we met and how things have changed for Devin since that night. About the things she learned about her own body. She’s still shy, but there’s a new air of confidence that she radiates when she talks about her condition and what she needs. She asks each of us about our lives and what we’re doing, and how we’re doing?
When she listens to us talk, she’s fully engaged in the conversation, giving each of us her complete attention. She’s unlike anyone woman I have ever met. In that moment, a piece of me demands that I make her mine and never let her go. Fucking caveman.
At some point in time, after Devin finished eating, I managed to get her hand back in mine, resting on top of the table. When her phone starts ringing in her bag, and she pulls her hand away from mine to pull it out, the chill that brushes across my palm sends a shiver racing up my arm, and a pang of loss hits me. How can someone affect you so deeply after just one night? I never would have believed it was possible if I wasn’t living it myself.
“Shit, I have to go,” Devin blurts, jumping up from the table and gathering her things. “I’m going to be so late clocking back in. It was great seeing you all again.”
She waves over her shoulder as she half runs from the outside seating, around the corner, and out of sight. There she goes again … running out of our lives.
